Half term Halloween party ideas

Keep children occupied this Halloween with our list of spooky games and creative activities.

The clocks have gone back, the pavements are carpeted with a thick dusting of amber gold leaves and Halloween is just around the corner. Whether at school or at home, the mysterious enchantment of ghouls, ghosts and goblins can be rejoiced in high spirits this half term with our spooky games and creative activities for half term Halloween parties.

Pumpkin carving
The most recognisable symbol of Halloween is the candle lit pumpkin. Every year the same face is carved into the flaming orange fruit; two eyes a triangular nose and a jagged grimace. This year why not use your favourite scene or object from a magical fairy tale or book as your inspiration. Whether it is the bubbling cauldron from the tales of Macbeth or the gothic towers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, make your pumpkin stand out. Ensure supervision during this task and do not over complicate your chosen silhouette. The simple shapes are often the most effective.

Wand making
Command your own secret charms with a handmade wand. Step into the garden or take a walk into the leafy parks and find a natural wooden stick from a fallen branch. Carefully wrap your stick in brown paper and cover it with PVC glue to create shiny and sealed affect. When your wand is dry you can personalise its appearance with colourful paints and glitter. If you are looking to achieve more of an authentic appearance, keep it simple and write your initials in fountain pen, like those found in the magical streets of Diagon Alley. Invent your own spells and create wand moving actions to ignite the Halloween magic.

Guess the WitchRoald Dahl once pointed out that real witches don’t ride around on broomsticks and tiptoe about in black cloaks and pointy hats. Instead they craftily disguise themselves in everyday clothing to fool us. Chapter Five in Dahl’s The Witches advises us on what to look for when spotting a real witch. As an activity, and using Chapter Five as guidance, you can play ‘spot the witch’. On folded pieces of paper draw a witch’s hat on just one and hand them out fairly to each child. Whoever receives the paper with the hat on is the chosen witch and must adopt one of Roald Dahl’s witching traits. This becomes a real bluffing game whereby the chosen witch can be as subtle or as obvious as they please. Each player has one guess and if you suspect wrongly you are out of the game. If accused correctly you win a bag of chocolate coins.

Spider devilled eggsFood is a necessity to any party. Make your own spine-chilling snacks to pass around through the night.

You will need:
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, cut into equal halves
• 3 generous tablespoons of mayonnaise
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• A packet of black olives

Directions: Peel off the outer shell and carefully slice the eggs in half. Dabble a small portion of mayonnaise on top of the yolk and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cut the whole olives in half to create the body of the spider and for the legs chop a thinner set of slices. Place the spider body with the accompanying legs on top of the mayonnaise to create a deliciously creepy Halloween themed bite.

Snow White apple bobbing dares
Snow White was once cursed by the wicked witch in the well-known fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for biting a poisonous apple. This game follows the traditional apple bobbing procedure yet one apple in the mix will be poisonous. Fill a tub with tap water and place half a dozen apples in the water. One of the apples should be marked on the bottom, either with a sticker or an engraved fork mark. The aim of the game is to try to catch one apple with your teeth without using your arms. If you manage to bite the cursed apple you have to perform a dare arranged by the rest of the party.

Our best stories, delivered to you every week

Please keep me up to date with special offers and news from Country Life and other brands operated by TI Media Limited via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We'd also like to send you special offers and news just by email from other carefully selected companies we think you might like. Your personal details will not be shared with those companies - we send the emails and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please tick here if you are happy to receive these messages.